Drilling Screw Holes in Corner Blocks

[George Bokros]

I will soon begin building a curio type cabinet that was in a WoodSmith magazine several years ago. It calls for corner blocks in the base between the side and front to be attached with both a tongue and screws. The screws obviously go through the part of the angle block that is the side that is on the 45. My question is how do you drill that hole and counter bore without the bit sliding as it enters the piece?

One option I guess would be to drill the counter bore first with a forstner bit then drill the through hole. How would you do it?

Thanks

[Dave Richards]

I always drill counterbores before drilling the shank hole. It's much easier to get the shank hole centered on the counterbore than drilling the other way around. A Forstner bit would be a good choice for that.

[pat warner]

Rout or band saw the triangular brace into an ell-shaped config.
You can drill square into that.
See the stack of 4 here. (http://patwarner.com/images/printer_stand1.jpg)

[John Lankers]

Under the drill press with a pocket hole bit.

[Robert Engel]

If I am perceiving it correctly, most corner block applications only need glue.
If you're splining, then screws maybe a bit overkill.

What I'm saying is think about the construction a bit and decide whether you even need screws.

[George Bokros]

If I am perceiving it correctly, most corner block applications only need glue.
If you're splining, then screws maybe a bit overkill.

What I'm saying is think about the construction a bit and decide whether you even need screws.

Woodsmith plans call for / show a tongue on the corner block plus screws.

[Edwin Santos]

Rout or band saw the triangular brace into an ell-shaped config.
You can drill square into that.
See the stack of 4 here. (http://patwarner.com/images/printer_stand1.jpg)


Hi - The sliding dovetails are very nice. Could you explain what's going on with the half tail looking angled joint on the four stacked pieces? I couldn't quite understand where they mate.

I think it was a metaphor but I have to ask - Did you literally place furniture inside a zoo enclosure?

[Sam Murdoch]

I just did this yesterday on a piece and simply used a fuller countersink for a # 8 screw. I used 1" screws which were long enough to hold the corner blocks but not so long that I could not fully bury the head. 2 screws in each 7" block . I simply bored slightly off the face high on one end and to the low side on the other ends - just off center. No special tools or techniques. I only used the screws to hold the pieces in as the glue dried. Once set these will be part of the cabinet. The screws are simply temporary clamps. I could just as well have used pins small from a nail gun.

As an aside - about technique for drilling into non "normal off" faces, i.e. faces that are away from a right angle orientation - I often accomplish this by aiming my drill point perpendicular to the piece and once the bit has started I then tip my drill to the direction I really want to bore. This allows the tip to purchase without slipping but is corrected to the proper orientation as I complete the hole (or driving the screw).

[pat warner]

"Could you explain what's going on with the half tail looking angled joint"
************************************************** **
The end joints on the walnut are 45° router cuts (http://patwarner.com/images/printer_stand1.jpg). One done on the flat, the other done on-end. I had the cutter made, but there are similar ones off the shelf.
If you study the stick on the top, you might see it interlocks with the end of the one below it. (Draw it; you'll see the connection).
Done with the same cutter, any error will cancel, and the connection will zero out to 90° . Lots of glue-able surface.
Nevertheless, on assembly, I use a right angled fixture to keep the 90°. It squares up, lots of pull strength; on assembly it = a drawer. An interesting joint for some box connections.
**************************************
No connection to zoo enclosures. Apes (grey backs) at local (SD Zoo Safari Park) have >6x the strength of weight lifters. Not to be messed with. Elephants and apes have only the toughest of structures in their enclosures.
FWW did a story on their furniture years ago. And stuff can be made to withstand the rigors of zoo animals.